The "Uneasy Remains" Film is a project of Wren Usdi Productions, a film production company run by NAS Grad Students Brook Colley and Cutcha Risling Baldy (along with UCD English Grad Student Gina Caison). The project also involves several grad students from the NAS department and other departments across the UCD Campus.
The Uneasy Remains Film Project and Research Interest Group examines the history of studying and collecting Indigenous human remains at UC Davis and how this history has been informed by the federal Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act. The film also queries the gendered dynamics of this history as it relates to academic research and the representations of Indigenous bodies. the project represents a collaborative effort of local tribes, community members, and students in multiple disciplines and departments at UC Davis. It brings these groups into dialogue on this complex issue and aims to promote interdisciplinary educational opportunities for students interested in learning more about the history of the study of Indigenous human remains and repatriation movements. the project will result in a feature length film, curriculum materials, and an archive database of research materials for use by tribes, schools, and other organizations. Although the project examines UC Davis as a case study for these issues, this dialogue has implications for museums and Native groups throughout the nation and globe, as access to human remains and repatriation movements represent a significant node in the ongoing conversation regarding the human rights struggles of Indigenous peoples. So far the Uneasy Remains Research Interest Group includes a network of 25 students and the support of several faculty members. Currently, the project is supported by the UC Davis Consortium for Women and Research, the Yocha Dehe Endowed Chair in Native American Studies, and the Native Women's Collective. For more information, please email [email protected].